Sinker control mechanism for circular knitting machines



Nov. 21, 1950 E. F. MILLER SINKER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 16, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet l 9 M FM 9 0 A M 3 o v M T m 4 Ar 5. J 6 wmwwmmmmm W a vfiw fi l M 5 w fl F I n "m m J APO. I 4 F HIHHHU B m w r m i l p m o INVENTOR:

Nov. 21, 1950 E. F.' MILLER 2,531,073

. SINKER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 16, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I HHHHHHHII] By mm A TTORNE Y5.

Nov. 21, 1950 E. F. MILLER 2,531,073

SINKER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 16, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 "I ll 2 lllll IIIIIII! Ill a 1+3 "IEQQ'UIIIII mum lllll mu W INVENTOR:

A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 21, 1950 E. F.

SINKER CONTROL. MECHANISM FOR MILLER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES v Original Filed Jan. 16, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR:

N m M i W E 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR: fizgyeiwflflwlei;

ATTORNEYS.

E. F. MILLER SINKER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 16, 1946 WITNESSES Nov. 21, 1950 wanna h zaz Nov. 21, 19-50 E. F. MILLER 2,531,073

SINKER CON L. MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR TTING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 16, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 W TNESSES INVENTOR:

2 Eugene Fim'llen, BY o6]. Q ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 21, 1950 SINKER CUNTROL MEfiHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTENG MACHINES Eugene F. Miller, Winston-Salem, N. (3., assignor to Hanes Hosiery Mills Company, Winston- Salem, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Original application January 16, 194.6, SeriafNo. 641,504. Divided and this application March 22, 1948, Serial No. 16,295

7 Claims. (01. era-1'08) This invention relates to sinker control mechanism for circular knitting machines, the present application being a division of a pending patent application Serial No. 641,504 filed by me on January 16, 1946, now Patent No. 2,525,704, October 10, 1950.

The chief aim of my present invention is to prevent, in a multi-feed circular stocking knitting machine of the type disclosed in the aforesaid application, pinching and/or rupture of the different yarns used in the knitting by the sinkers incident to insertion or withdrawal of yarn feeds at different knitting stations disposed at spaced intervals around the needle cylinders. This objective is realized as hereinafter more fully set forth, through provision of automatic control means whereby the sinker actuating cams are rotatively shifted slightly relative to the corresponding stitch cams at the several stations at the times when the insertions or substitutions of the feeds are effected.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in top plan of a circular stocking knitting machine conveniently embodying my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the machine partly in side elevation as seen from the left of Fig. 1, and partly in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in top plan on a larger scale looking as indicated by the angled arrows III-III in Fig. 2 with certain of the stitch cams and corresponding yarn feeds of the machine Withdrawn to idle positions.

Fig. 4 is a view like Fig. 3 with the aforesaid stitch cams and yarn feeds in active positions.

Fig. 5 is a View in elevation looking toward the bottom of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows VI-VI in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view showing how a yarn would ordinarily be pinched or ruptured by the sinkers incident to insertion for knitting at one of the feeding stations of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7 showing how yarn pinching or rupturing is avoided in accordance with my invention.

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views looking as indicated respectively by the angled arrows IX-IX and XX in Figs. '7 and 8.

With more specific reference to these illustrations, the numeral 5 designates the needle cylinder of the machine which is rotatably mounted in a stationary bed 2 and which extends up through another bed 3 at a higher level, said beds being rigidly supported by the usual frame partly indicated at 5 in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. The means for rotating and oscillating the needle cylinder I as required in the production of scamless hosiery, may be of any well known construction and has therefore been omitted from the drawings. The control and timing of the various instrumentalities of the machine is divided between two drums t and i which are intermittently racked, each through a complete ro tation, during each stocking knitting cycle. The needle cylinder I is longitudinally grooved as usual for slidable guidance of independently operable needles 8. The machine is arranged so that different individual yarns may be fed to and knitted by the needles s at three stations A, B and C respectively which are suitably spaced circumferentially of the needle cylinder I.

Of the usual multiple retractable main yarn feeds located at the station A, I have designated two of them by the numerals 35 and 36, the first for feeding a body yarn a, i. e. one of the multiple yarns ordinarily used during knitting of the legs and insteps of the stockings, and the second for feeding a heel and toe yarn y. The feeds 35 and 36 have the usual form of fingers which are independently swingable up and down about fulcrum pins 31 and 38 (Fig. 2) extending transversely of upstanding ears on the shank of the usual needle latch guard ring 39 which is hingedly conected at it to the top of an upstanding bracket 41 on the bed plate 3. The main yarn feeds 35 and 35- are individually controlled through thrust rods from the main timing drum 6 as ordinarily. In addition to the main feeds just referred to, the machine is provided with groups of left and right retractable auxiliary feeds 44, 45 at stations B and C for feeding auxiliary body yarns b and 0 respectively. The auxiliary feeds 44, 45 are likewise in the form of fingers pivoted for independent up and down swinging movement on horizontal pins t6 and 4'! fixed in upstanding projections 48 and 49 on the latch guard ring 39, and are intended to be individually used with the main yarn feed 35 in the knitting of the stocking boots and insteps. The auxiliary feeds M, 65 are subject to individual springs and are actuated through individual thrust rods 52, 53 (Fig. 1) respectively in the paths of suitably spaced cam rises on the main timing-drum 6. The thrust rods 52, 53 act upon the outer ends of horizontal levers 54, 55 which are medially fulcrumed on the extended portions of the fulcrum pin 49 with their inner ends underreaching the auxiliary feed fingers 44, 45. Fixedly supported axially within the circle of needles at the top of the needle cylinder l is the usual dial plate 80 whereon are mounted spring clamp tongues 33, H2 and I45 for releasably holding the ends of the main and auxiliary yarns a, b and respectively when the corresponding feeds are withdrawn at the stations A, B and C.

At the station A is the usual main stitch cam I65, see Figs. 3, i and 6, and at the stations B and C are retractable auxiliary stitch cams I83 and 5839; which are guided for radial sliding in fixed brackets H4 and H5 respectively on the bed 3. The left auxiliary stitch cam 83 at station B is controlled from the drum 6 which for that purpose, is provided with circumferential cam rises such as the one at 2m in the plane of a finger 2H fulcrumed on a fixed rod 2". As shown, the finger 2i I has an upward arm extension 12; connected at 2H5 to one end of a horizontal link 219 whereof the other end is connected to the long arm of a bell crank 229 (Fig. 6) By means of another link .22l, the short arm of the bell crank 223 is connected to a stud 222 projetting up from the cam I33 through a clearance slot in the top of the bracket H4. The helical tension spring at 2 serves to maintain the finger 21 i yieldingly in engagement with the drum 6. H5 is controlled from the drum 6 which, for that purpose is provided with a group of suitable circumferential rises (not shown) which are arranged to undertravel a thrust bar 245, see Fig. 1. At its upper end, the thrust rod 2451s connected to the horizontal arm 246a of a bell crank lever 246 fulerumed with others on a fixed rod 238, the upright arm 24611 of said lever being coupled, by means of a horizontal link 241, withone arm of another Joell crank .248 pivoted at 249 on the post bracket 2 12. Through the medium of a short link 25.0, the other arm of the bell crank 24.8 is connected to a stud 222a: on the right auxiliary cam [83m The springs at 252 and 253 operate to yieldingly maintain the rod 245 yield- .ingly engaged with the drum 6.

Cooperative with the needles 8 in the knitting are the usual individually-associated sinkers 328 (Figs. 3 and 4) which are radially movable in a dial .329 (Fig. 5) at the top of the needle cylinder 1 and actuated at the main yarn feeding station A by a draw cam 330 on the usual superposed sinker cap ring 33!. At the stations B, C, the sinker cap ring 33l carries auxiliary left and right sinker retracting cams 332 and 3.33. The

sinker cam 332 is pivoted at 335 and has a stud projection 335 which extends up through a slot 33! in the top of the cap ring 33L The sinker earn 332 is controlled from the main cam drum 6 through means including a thrust rod .338 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) whereof the upper curved end is pivotally connected to the horizontal arm of a bell crank lever 339 fulcrumed on a stud 34%! projecting laterally from the bracket which supports the latch guard ring 39 of the machine. The upright arm of the bell crank lever 333 has a sliding connection with a link rod 335 which extends to and is pivotally connected at 342 to one arm of a lever 343 medially fulcrumed on a stud 334 upstanding from the bed plate 3. The other arm of lever 343, in turn, has a sliding spring-biased pivotal connection 345 with one end of another but shorter horizontal link 335.

The opposite end of the link 346 is pivotally connected to one end of the lever 341 medially ful- The right hand auxiliary stitch cam i crumed on the top of the sinker cap ring 33 l, the other end of the last mentioned lever reaching to the stud 336 on the auxiliary sinker cam 332. As suitable cam rises (not shown) on the main drum 5 pass under the thrust rod .338, the auxiliary sinker cam 332 is moved from inactive position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 to the active position of Fig. 4 to actuate the sinkers 323 at the yarn feeding station B. The usual retaining spring band 348 for the sinker 328 tends to urge the auxiliary sinker cam 332 toward its inactive position. The auxiliary sinker cam at the right-hand yarn feeding station C is likewise provided with an upstanding stud projection 350 for control also from the main cam drum 5 through the medium of a lever 35l centrally fulcrumed at 352 on the top of the sinker cap ring and a link rod 353. The other intervening parts may be like those described above in connection with the actuating means for the left auxiliary cam 332, and for this reason a showing of them has been omitted from the drawings.

During the heel and toe knitting, the sinker cap ring 33! is accorded the usual necessary amount of lost motion which is determined by alternate contact of adjustable set screws 355 and 353 thereon respectively with the stop post 35-! and a beveled wedge slide 358 which constitutes one of the features of my present invention. In order to rotatively shift the sinker cap ring 33! to properly position the auxiliary sinker draw cams 332, 333 and so prevent pinching and/or rupturing of the auxiliary body yarns b and c at the times of their insertion or substitution as later on more fully explained, the wedge 358 is withdrawn as shown in Fig. thus allowing the screw 35!! to contact the stop post 35? as the ring 331 is dragged by the needle cylinder I in counter-clockwise direction. Upon being shoved inward, the slide 358 engages between set screw 356 on the cap ring 33! and the contiguous side of the stop post 351, thereby giving said ring 33! a clockwise rotative shift to the required extent to reset the sinker cams. As shown, the slide 358 is longitudinally slotted through a portion of its length for guidance by a pin 35!] transversely supported in ears on the stop post 351, and it is moreover apertured at its end for engagement by a finger 36I at the top of a vertical shaft 362 which passes down through the bed plate 3. Afiixed to the lower end of shaft 362 is an arm 363 which, through a bent horizontal link 365, is connected to a finger 366 fulcrumed on the horizontal rod 89 and extending into the path of rises 36? on the timing drum 7, see Figs. 1 and 2. It is to be understood that the cam rises on the timing drums 6 and i are so arranged as to determine insertion of the auxiliary feeds and the auxiliary stitch cams successively in the direction of cylinder rotation with concurrent temporary shifting of the sinker actuating cams, and the retraction of said feeds and cams to inactive positions in the reverse order.

Operation In practice, the boot portions of the stockings are knitted from the three yarns a, b and c to the needles 8 at the respective stations A, B and C, the needles being acted upon in succession by the main and the auxiliary stitch cams I55, I83 and l83r, and the sinkers by the cam 33!] at the station A and by the cams 332 and 333 respectively at the stations B and C as shown in Fig. 4. Upon completion of the stocking legs, and in preparation for the heel knitting, the auxiliary stitch cams I832 and I83 are retracted in suecession in the direction of cylinder rotation concurrently with the retraction of the sinker cams 332 and 333 and substitution of the heel yarn 36 at the station A. The knitting of the heel thereupon proceeds by oscillation of the needle cylinder l in the well known way. Upon completion of the heel, the main yarn feed 35 is reinstated in the place of the heel yarn feed 36, and the auxiliary feeds 44 and 45 reinstated successively, with concurrent restoration of the auxiliary stitch cams I83 and I831: and of the auxiliary sinker cams 332 and 333 to active positions for the production of the instep positions of the stockings from the three yarns a, b, and 0. Just prior to the restoration of the auxiliary sinker cams 332 and 333 however, the rise 36'! on timing drum 1 in underpassing the finger projection of arm 366 causes, through the parts 365,

363, 362 and 36!, the withdrawal of the wedge 358 as in Fig. 4. As a result the cap ring 33l will be dragged around with the needle cylinder I (which normally rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3) by a distance equal to the thickness of the wedge piece 358 until contact of 1 effectively precluded as the feeds 44 and 45 are successively lowered and the auxiliary stitch cams I83 and I831: are reinstated for actuation of the needles at the stations B and C to take said yarns and knit them. Just how such injury to.

the yarns is prevented will be readily understood by comparison of Figs. 7 and 9 with Figs. 8 and 10. In Fig. 7 the sinker retracting wave is shown in the normal relationship to the needle retracting wave at the left hand auxiliary knitting station B, and one of the feeds 44 at said station has just been lowered into action for introduction of its yarn b into the knitting. As the yarn b is inserted, it is caught by the first needle (as considered in respect to the direction of needle cylinder rotation indicated by the arrow) of a special group 8a raised in advance Of the needles which are to knit said yarn at the station B to prevent the formation of eyelets in the manner disclosed in application Serial No. 641,504, of which the present application is a division, incident to being drawn from beneath the, clamp spring fingers H2 on the usual stationary dial plate 66 (Fig. 1) within the top of the needle cylinder I. The segment of the yarn b between the first needle of the group 8a and the first needle 8b by which the first stitch is drawn, is stitched taut. This segment is moreover so po sitioned that as the sinker 326a immediately adjacent the needle =81) is advanced, the point of nib of the latter is likely to cut or pierce the yarn. In Fig. 8, the sinker wave has been advanced slightly relative to the stitch point at the station B in the direction of cylinder rotation as a consequence of shifting of the cap 33!. at 328a has therefore not been advanced Sllfficiently for its nib to contact the yarn b, as will be readily seen from Fig. 10. In exactly the same manner, pinching or rupturing 0f the yarn c is avoided when said yarn is introduced at the right The sinker andauxiliary knitting station 0. Immediately upon resumption of the three yarn knitting, the timing drum 1 is given another rotative shift whereby the rise 36'! is moved beyond the finger projection of arm 366 whereupon by action of the spring 225, the wedge piece is thrust inward to reversely shift the capring 33! and so bring the auxiliary sinker cams 332 and 333 into their normal relationship with respect to the auxiliary feeds 44 and. 45 and the auxiliary stitch cams I83 and. 1831:.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine a rotary cylinder with needles and cooperative sinkers; a main knitting station with a feed for feeding a main yarn and with a stitch cam for actuating the needles to knit the main yarn; a plurality of auxiliary knitting stations circumferentially spaced from each other and from the main station around the cylinder, each such auxiliary knitting station having a retractable feed for an auxiliary yarn and an auxiliary stitch cam for actuating the needles to knit the auxiliary yarn; an auxiliary sinker actuating cam at each auxiliary station normally occupying a definite position relative to the corresponding stitch cam during normal knitting; and means instrumental, upon insertion of the auxiliary arn feeds, in causing the auxiliary sinker actuating cams to be rotatively shifted slightly temporarily relative to the stitch cams in the direction of cylinder rotation and so preclude pinching of the newly-introduced auxiliary yarns by the sinkers.

2. In a circular knitting machine a rotary cylinder with needles and cooperative sinkers radially slidable in a dial associated with the needle cylinder; a main knitting station with a feed for feeding a main yarn and a stitch cam for actuating the needles to knit the main yarn; a plurality of auxiliary knitting stations circumferentially spaced from each other and the main station around the cylinder, each such auxiliary station having a retractable feed for an auxiliary yarn and a stitch cam for actuating the needles to knit the auxiliary yarn; a sinker actuating cam at each auxiliary station normally occupying a definite position circumferentially of the cylinder relative to the corresponding stitch cam during normal knitting; a cap ring mounted on the sinker dial and carrying the auxiliary sinker actuating cams; and means instrumental upon insertion of the auxiliary yarns, in rotatively shifting the cap ring and thereby temporarily changing the positions of the auxiliary sinker actuating cams relative to the corresponding stitch cams in the direction of the cylinder rotation, so as to prevent pinching of the newlyintroduced auxiliary yarns by the sinkers.

3. In a circular knitting machine, a rotary cylinder with needles and cooperative sinkers; a main knitting station with a main yarn feed and a main stitch cam for actuating the needles to knit the main yarn; a plurality of auxiliary knitting stations circumferentially spaced from each other and from the main station around the cylinder; a retractable feed for an auxiliary yarn and a retractable stitch cam for actuating the needles at each auxiliary station to knit the auxiliary yarn; an auxiliary sinker actuating cam at each auxiliary knitting station normally occupying a definite position relative to the corresponding auxiliary stitch cam; means operative to introduce the auxiliary feeds and the auxiliary stitch cams successively in the direction of cylinder rotation; and means instrumental upon; introduction; of: the auxiliary feeds and the auxiliary stitch cams intemporarily changing the positions of. the auxiliary sinker actuating cams; relative to the corresponding auxiliary stitch cams in the direction of cylinder rotation and so prevent pinching of the newly-introduced auxiliary yarns by the sinkers.

4-. In a circular knitting machine, a. rotary cylinder with needles and cooperative sinkers; knitting stations at intervals around the cylinder respectively with retractable. yarn feeds and with stitch cams. for actuating the needles to-knitthe respective yarns; a. sinker actuating cam. at each knitting. station normally occupy ing. a definite position: circumferentially of the cylinder relative to the-corresponding stitch cam; and means instrumental upon insertion of the respective feeds, in temporarily changing the position of, the sinker actuating. cams relative to therespective stitch cams in the direction of cylinder rotation and so prevent pinching of the newly-introduced auxiliary yarns by the sinkers.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a rotary cylinder with needlesand' cooperative sinkers; a main knitting station with a main yarn feed and a main stitch cam for knitting the main yarn; auxiliary knitting stations at intervals around the cylinder respectively with retractable auxiliary yarn feeds and with retractable auxiliary stitch cams for knitting the respective auxiliary yarns ;v an auxiliary retractable sinker cam pivotall'y supported at each auxiliary knitting station; means for retracting the auxiliary yarn feeds and the auxiliary stitch cams in succession in the direction of cylinder rotation; and means whereby the auxiliary sinker cams are moved about their pivots to inactive positions upon rot-action of the respectively corresponding auxiliary yarn feeds and auxiliary stitch cams.

6. The invention according to claim 5, further including two timing drums; wherein the means for retracting the auxiliary feeds, the auxiliary stitch cams and the means for actuating one of the auxiliary sinker cams is controlled from one of the timing drums; and wherein themeans for actuating theother auxiliary sinker cam is. controlled from the other timing drum.

7'. In a circular knitting machine a. rotary cylinder with needles and cooperative, sinkers radially slidable ina dial associated with the needle. cylinder; a main knitting station with a feed for feeding a main yarn and a stitch cam for actuating the needles, to knit the main yarn; a plurality of auxiliary knitting stations circumferentially spaced from each other and the main station around the. cylinder, each such auxiliary station having a retractable feed for an auxiliary yarnrand. a stitch cam for actuating the needles to knit the auxiliary yarn; a sinker actuating' cam at each auxiliary station normally occupying a definite position circumferentially of the cylinder relative to the corresponding stitch cam during normal knitting; a cap ring mounted on the sinker dial and carrying the auxiliary sinker actuating cams; a fixed stop abutment. for engagement by a circumferential projection on the cap ring; a wedge element interposed between said stop abutment and said projection; and means operative upon insertion of the respective yarn feeds, to temporarily Withdraw the wedge element to permit shifting of the cap ring by the drag of the needle cylinder for the purpose of precluding pinching of the yarns by the sinkers.

EUGENE F. MILLER;

REFERENflES CITED lihe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 999,853 Paquette Aug. 8, 1911 2,057A36' Lawson Oct. 13, 1936 2,070,458 Steere Feb. 9, 1937 2,092,315 Katzenmoyer Sept. 7, 193'! 2,146,647 Page Feb. '7, 1939 

